Debate over amendments to Cyprus dog ownership legislation

On Thursday, the Parliament of Cyprus passed amendments to the national Dogs Law regarding the costs of keeping unsterilized dogs. Chrysso Kakofengitou, president of the animal welfare organization 'Rights For Animals', criticized the new fees, describing them as a significant oversight by lawmakers. She argued that the current regulations do not sufficiently address the issue of uncontrolled breeding in the country. According to her data, failing to enforce sterilization could lead to the number of stray puppies rising from 5,000 annually to 36,000 within 15 years. Kakofengitou proposed that fees for owning an unsterilized dog should be increased to as much as 1,000 euros to encourage responsible ownership. She warned that her organization intends to escalate its advocacy by bringing abandoned puppies to political party offices to demonstrate the scale of the problem. Lawmakers have defended the legislation as a necessary step, though specific details on the exact fee structures remain a point of public contention.